The festival
The Art Explora Festival is a traveling cultural festival with free access, developed in collaboration with local institutions across the Mediterranean, to offer unique cultural and artistic experiences to all audiences. The festival unfolds aboard ARTEXPLORER, the world's first museum boat, as well as on the quaysides and in the host cities. Visitors will have the opportunity to enjoy exhibitions, performances, conferences, concerts, and more. From spring 2024 to spring 2026, the festival will journey through over 15 countries in the Mediterranean, bringing together artists, curators, cultural and educational organizations who will collectively envision a new perspective of the Mediterranean.
the boat museum
The ARTEXPLORER catamaran is the world's first museum boat. Designed by architects Axel de Beaufort and Guillaume Verdier, it measures 46.5 meters long and 55 meters high. The boat was constructed at the Perini Navi shipyard in Italy. It can welcome up to 2000 people on board each day and offers an immersive exhibition designed in exceptional collaboration with the Louvre Museum. It also features a sound experience developed with IRCAM and onboard artist residencies.
© Wilmotte & Associés Architectes
© Wilmotte & Associés Architectes
Exhibition pavilions
Travelling with the boat, a nomadic and innovative exhibition space, designed by Wilmotte & Associés Architects, is set up on the quays of the visited ports. Consisting of exhibition pavilions, a central stage - the Agora - and convivial areas, it offers a rich program accessible to all audiences.
events on shore and in the cities
At each stop, a curator from the country organizes a unique cultural program in partnership with local institutions, associations, and artists:
- A 10-day program of exhibitions, events, film screenings, and live performances in each port and city.
- Close collaboration with local institutions, highlighting established local and Mediterranean artists, as well as emerging talents, and focusing on contemporary Mediterranean issues.
- Series of workshops and programs for the public, developed in collaboration with local community organizations.
The Museum Boat Experience
Step aboard ARTEXPLORER, the world's first museum boat. Experience an immersive exhibition, created in exceptional collaboration with the Louvre Museum, showcasing the representation of women in Mediterranean cultures.
Under The Azure Sky
Under the Azure Sky is an exhibition paying tribute to the Mediterranean Sea, to the imagery it evokes, to the awe it inspires, and to the ancient and contemporary myths associated with it.
Moving Images in the Arab World
The exhibition offers an exploration of the Mediterranean in the context of migration and exile, highlighting the work of emerging photographers from the region.
Journey through time and space
Discover recent virtual reality creations connected to the themes of the Art Explora Festival: heritage, art culture, migrations...